First Insight

First Insight
Studio album by
Jesse Davis
Released1998
RecordedSeptember 1997
GenreJazz
LabelConcord Jazz
ProducerJohn Burk
Jesse Davis chronology
From Within
(1996) 		First Insight
(1998) 		The Set-Up
(2002)

First Insight is an album by the American saxophonist Jesse Davis, released in 1998.[1][2] It was his sixth album for Concord Jazz.[3] Davis supported it with a North American tour.[4]

Production

Davis composed all of the album's songs; he tried to reflect on what made his sound unique.[5][6] He was chiefly influenced by the playing of Sonny Stitt and Charlie Parker.[7] Davis was backed by Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Peter Bernstein on guitar, and Kenny Washington on drums.[8] The title track was influenced by the book The Celestine Prophecy.[5] "Nola" was written as a tribute to Davis's hometown.[9] "Midnight Blue" is an homage to Thelonious Monk.[4] "B.Y.O.G." is played in 7/4 time.[8] Davis sang on "A Funny Thing".[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
DownBeat[11]
The Guardian[12]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD[13]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[14]

The Chicago Tribune said, "Though the man's searing, blues-drenched playing alone would recommend First Insight, the stylistic variety of the compositions and the ingenuity of Davis's arrangements make this recording a tour de force."[15] The Hartford Courant noted that the "zesty compositional variety accentuates the session's soloing strengths."[9] The Washington Post compared Davis to Cannonball Adderley and concluded that "no one is carrying on [his] legacy more effectively today than [Davis]... His new album is filled with the pleasures of swinging, robust blues."[5] LA Weekly opined that Davis "can play circles around" James Carter, Joshua Redman, and "some of the Marsalis cronies".[16]

Jazziz stated, "Davis's alto sound—at turns throaty and reedy then pure and clean—and the narratives of his nine fine compositions on the new disc are the work of a man not just conversant, but capable of meaningful dialogue."[17] The Irish Times said that Davis's "playing, though derivative, has reached a depth and inventiveness beyond anything he has previously recorded".[18] The Toronto Star admired the "keen, resourceful awareness of melody and spare phrasing."[19] The Guardian noted that, "unlike many contemporaries thrust into the leadership role, [Davis] invents tunes that are rather more than exercises."[12]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."First Insight" 
2."Nola" 
3."A Little R & R" 
4."B.Y.O.G." 
5."Midnight Blue" 
6."J's Idea" 
7."A Funny Thing" 
8."Jetlagged" 
9."Donkey Stomp" 

References

  1. ^ Spore, Keith (May 27, 1998). "More from the sax section". Cue. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3.
  2. ^ The Rough Guide to Jazz (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. 2004. p. 197.
  3. ^ Blangger, Tim (July 11, 1998). "Disc Reviews". The Morning Call. p. A53.
  4. ^ a b Reich, Howard (July 16, 1998). "Alto Insight". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 2.
  5. ^ a b c d Himes, Geoffrey (May 8, 1998). "Jesse Davis: 'First Insight'". Weekend. The Washington Post. p. 24.
  6. ^ Vega, Lazaro (February 12, 1999). "Carrying a tradition". The Weekend. The Grand Rapids Press. Vol. 106. p. 9.
  7. ^ Bellamy, Cliff (May 8, 1998). "Jazz". Preview. The Herald-Sun. p. 5.
  8. ^ a b Andrews, Marke (July 18, 1998). "Jazz/Blues". The Vancouver Sun. p. H9.
  9. ^ a b McNally, Owen (May 7, 1998). "First Insight – Jesse Davis". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 7.
  10. ^ "First Insight Review by Scott Yanow". AllMusic. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  11. ^ Conrad, Tom (September 1998). "First Insight". DownBeat. Vol. 65, no. 9. pp. 44–45.
  12. ^ a b Atkins, Ronald (August 21, 1998). "Music: This week's jazz cd releases". The Guardian. p. TO26.
  13. ^ The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books. 2002. p. 371.
  14. ^ Stark, Karl (May 31, 1998). "Jazz". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F10.
  15. ^ Reich, Howard (April 5, 1998). "Jesse Davis". Arts & Entertainment. Chicago Tribune. p. 18.
  16. ^ Kohlhaase, Bill (August 13, 1998). "Jazz Picks of the Week". LA Weekly. p. 139.
  17. ^ Blumenfeld, Larry (July 1998). "Digging jazz from the bottom up". Jazziz. Vol. 15, no. 7. p. 19.
  18. ^ Comiskey, Ray (July 3, 1998). "Jazz". Sound & Vision. The Irish Times. p. 12.
  19. ^ Chapman, Geoff (July 18, 1998). "Jesse Davis First Insight". Entertainment. Toronto Star. p. 1.
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